To Tickle A Dragon
By JK Fie'r
Disclaimer: I don't own The Bill or Harry Potter.
Warnings: Kiwi spelling.
Other notes: Thanks go to KMLo2 for beta-ing this chapter for me.
JK: I'd like to give a hearty thanks to all who reviewed the first chapter. Your support is welcomed, and highly enjoyed. Also, thank you to all who read the first chapter, even if you didn't review.44 hits is more than half the number received by my most popular story to date, and that thing is twelve chapters.
I have now read the fic called 'The Return' (thanks toTamba for pointing it out to me, otherwise I would never have found it), and, I must say, I intend to make mine better. Call it a challenge.
Please, read on...
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Chapter Two: caveat emptor
Subtitled: Let The Buyer Beware
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Gina raised a polite eyebrow at the man in front of her.
"You ain't got nuffink on me!"
A double negative. Wonderful. Not only did she have to deal with a criminal Wizard, but she had to deal with one whose parents had never taught the basic laws of grammar to.
Resisting the urge to rub at her forehead tiredly, or maybe go off somewhere for a fag, she graced the Wizard with a look.
"You do realise that the principle of 'let the buyer beware' went out with the ancient Romans, don't you Mister Southall?" P.C. Des Taviner, who was actually smarter than people would often give him credit for, asked coolly. His accent made the words sound a little like an accusation, which was possibly, Gina reflected, part of the reason he'd survived thus far in the Force. The tone of voice took people off their guard, made it easier for them to slip up, easier for Des to get the results needed.
"As far as I'm aware, it's up to the customer whether or not to buy any of what I sell," was the equally cool answer.
"Desmond, I don't think we're going to get anything more out of him at the moment. Go tell the duty sergeant that Mr. Southall will be staying with us for a little bit longer."
"Ma'am," Des replied, rising from the table smoothly. Anything to get out of there!
Once the P.C. had left, Inspector Gold turned back to the prisoner.
"Interview suspended, ten twenty-five," she said, hitting the stop button on the tape recorder.
"We have your wand. We have the gear. I've alerted the Ministry, someone from the Department of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts will be down here shortly. I suggest you consider your next few moves very carefully, Mr. Southall."
Trevor Southall's eyes were very wide at this point.
"You're one of us? What're you doing here then? You should be joining us! These muggles deserve it, the idiots have it coming-"
"Ma'am?" the door opened behind her, and Sheelagh Murphy's voice rang out behind her.
"It's all right Sergeant, you can come on in."
"Ma'am, there's someone here from Barton Street to pick up Mr. Southall."
Gina smiled, and Trevor decided that there was something just a little sinister about the supposedly kind expression.
"Thank you Sergeant Murphy."
"Ma'am, a word, please."
Giving one last sarcastic smile to the hapless Wizard, Gina left the interview room.
"Yes, Sergeant?"
"Ma'am, are you sure about this? You caught him fair and square and you're just letting him go to Barton Street?"
Gina shrugged.
"This is one case that I don't mind letting that lot take care of, Sergeant, and I really don't think it's any of your business which nick he ends up in. All right?"
"…Ma'am."
Sheelagh left, presumably to go talk to the copper from Barton Street – really another Witch or Wizard in disguise.
Part of Gina was rebelling, it really was. She hadn't exactly wanted to spend most of her day going through the paperwork that always accompanied a prisoner transfer, let alone the extra forms that went with Wizards (the combination of various spells to prevent Muggles from noticing the parchment pieces gave her a headache each time she had to deal with them).
That and…
She'd left the Wizarding world behind her when she'd left school to work in her father's shop, she'd thought it was over.
Of course, then she'd gotten to Stanford, and found out all about the extra classes. The ones with a certain emphasis on wands rather than words. The ones that took place at odd hours, and in even odder places.
Yet it hadn't bothered her. Gina Gold, never one to roll over and play dead, had simply accepted the fact that there were a few other Witches and Wizards who went into the Met, a few others who'd had the same idea as she, had accepted that there were a few crimes committed by those of the Magical world that would go undetected by the systems in place at the Ministry.
Still.
It had been bad enough when she'd had to deal with that whole 'Mad-Eye Moody' incident last year. Leaving a paper-trail was difficult enough without parts of that paper-trail being invisible to most of her fellow officers.
This was the second time in three days. The second time in three days.
There were no leads on who'd killed off the old man. After hemming and hawing over the idea in the car, she'd reported the incident to the Ministry.
They'd told her not to worry.
Not to worry! There was a Wizard dead on her patch, who had first been disarmed with the Expelliarmus charm, and then in all likelihood had Avada Kedavra used on him.
Avada Kedavra.
The killing curse; an Unforgivable.
Someone had used an Unforgivable curse in her area, and the Ministry had told her not to worry.
And in the meantime, she had a prisoner to transfer.
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JK: Comment! Feel free to. I like getting comments. They make me feel happy.
MTFBWY!